Celebrating Texas cuisine

New group celebrates the food and culture of Texas

Published 5:30 am, Tuesday, July 20, 2010

The diverse foods of Texas (such as Tex-Mex platters like those from Sylvia's Enchilada Kitchen) will be documented by the newly-formed Foodways Texas.

The diverse foods of Texas (such as Tex-Mex platters like those from Sylvia's Enchilada Kitchen) will be documented by the newly-formed Foodways Texas.

Photo: CHRONICLE FILE

Celebrating Texas cuisine

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Put 50 opinionated foodies in a room, and you're asking for anarchy.

But last week, 50 passionate advocates for Texas foods and culinary history agreed unanimously on one thing: the creation of an organization to preserve, promote and celebrate the diverse food cultures of the Lone Star State.

Foodways Texas was born at 5:07 p.m. this past Wednesday at a meeting on the campus of Texas A&M in College Station. And its initial members — Texas farmers, cattle ranchers, microbrewers, academics, historians, chefs, restaurateurs and food writers from throughout the state - hope to grow the cultural organization that uses food as a window to "who we are as eaters," as one charter member said.

The organization was modeled on the Southern Foodways Alliance, a non-profit group established in 1999 in Birmingham, Ala., to document and celebrate the food culture of the American South. Author and Texas food writer Robb Walsh was one of several Houstonians - including chef Bryan Caswell and seafood dealer Jim Gossen, president and CEO of Louisiana Foods - who kickstarted the formation of Foodways Texas with the blessing of the Southern Foodways Alliance.

"As much as we love the SFA, there's this question of 'Is Texas part of the South?' We're very proud of the part of our history that isn't Southern. Southerners are proud of being Southerners, and Texans are proud of being Texans. Texas is unto itself," said Walsh, who is among 14 directors elected to guide the organization.

The formation of Foodways Texas neatly echoed the establishment of the SFA, which also began with a two-day meeting of 50 people who agreed to lend their names to an organization to chronicle the food and food history of the South, as well as document the life stories of the farmers, fishermen, cooks, bakers and artisan food creators who help define the South.

Walsh said he and other Texas food advocates felt the need to create a similar organization that embraced all the regions and food cultures of Texas. Their efforts produced the nascent Foodways Texas - the first step in what organizers hope will be a profound contribution to Texas history. How? By holding symposi ums and regional events on Texas food culture; producing documentary films on Texas foodways and food personalities; establishing itself as the authority for information about Texas cuisine and culinary history. That would include celebrating and documenting Tex-Mex, barbecue, Gulf seafood, Texas beef, chili, Texas citrus, pecan pie, chicken-fried steak, kolaches, frozen margaritas, Texas craft brews and artisanal producers of ice cream, cheese, honey, bread and tortillas.

Texas foodies who were invited to the organization of Foodways Texas brought a variety of concerns to the table. Hoover Alexander, of Hoover's Cooking in Austin, said he hopes the organization actively embraces the many cultures that have influenced the cuisines of Texas. "It's a platform for bringing diversity and the passion for preservation and using that as a vehicle for culture. Texas is a melting pot," said the fifth-generation Texan. "We're our own little nature and mind-set."

Morgan Weber, owner of Revival Meats in Yoakum, said he is concerned about "making rural agriculture a viable career again" and hopes the organization recognizes the efforts of farmers like him (he raises heirloom breeds of pork, lamb and chicken). "I have a passion to make rural farming and ranching financially feasible to Texas ranchers," he said.

Gossen also wants the organization to put a spotlight on small producers of Texas products that are unique to the state. He also said that the group should promote the fun of food: "It has to be fun. If it's not fun, you lose your enthusiasm and the opportunity of bringing something to life for the public."

Melissa Guerra, a cookbook author from the Rio Grande Valley near McAllen, said that food is an important avenue for discussing and understanding history. "It's being woven in front of our very eyes. I see this as a great way to talk about sociology and history with the public," she said. "It's history you can eat. You get to eat it."

Membership in Foodways Texas will be open to all interested foodies. But first things first. The organization needs to raise funds. Walsh said the board plans to hold food events throughout that will function as donor dinners and awareness builders. The group also needs to establish a website, hire an executive director and plan its first big seminar. (Currently, SFA has about 800 members who pay annual dues of about $75 per individual. They support the causes and vision of SFA.)

While the fledgling organization has a lot of work to do to mold itself, its first members are excited about a statewide group of like-minded foodies who can learn from each other while contributing to preserving such an important slice of Texas history.

"It needs to be preserved, fed and cultivated," Caswell said of Foodways Texas. "This organization could be a driving voice. It's bigger than all of us."